Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-11-03
POWELL'S TAXES.
A MAN WHO MAKES OVER $4,000 A
YEAR PROVES A DoDGER.

He Has Paid No Taxes on Hts Real Es-
tate In Delaware Since 1S75-No Won
der He Objects to Any Reference to
Tax Matters
Mr.. 7. E. Powell, Democratic candidate
for governor, has had good deal to say
in this Campaign about taxes. He has
found fault with Governor Foraker's
special message on state finances, the
recommendations of which were expected
to result in reducing the taxes of farm
ers and others now Overburdened and
paying more than their just share of
taxes, and compelling those who have
evaded taxes on property they own to
bear their just share of taxation. For
some time it was not known why
Mr.. Powell was so highly indignant at
this message, but it was known, for he
himself had advertised it, that he claimed
to be conducting a highly successful
business and to be making at the very
lowest estimate $15, 900 year by his law
practice. He has caused a biography of
himself to be published in the Cambri an
and in pamphlets in the Welsh language,
setting forth the fact that he has made
$15, 200 year by his law business and is
highly prosperous. 1t was known that
he owned property in Delaware, and that
with all the money he has been making
he was abundantly able to bear his just
share of the burden of taxation and to
relieve poor men who are paying taxes
on their little homes from bearing, in ad-
dition to their own burdens, those of
men like himself
Now it has been discovered that the
real reason for Mr.. Powell's hostility to
the governors special message is that he,
Powell, has been evading taxa aiion on his
property; that he PoweID has been a
tax dodger, althoug he has made so
much money that he ought to pay his
taxes. An investigation shows from the
official records of Delaware county that
Mr.. Powell has not paid one cent of taxes
on his house in Delaware since 1875.
For twelve years now he has failed to
pay his taxes, and by this failure on his
part the taxes of every property
owner have been increased to Just the
extent that Powell's taxes would amount
to. There stands to-day against Mr.
Powell's property in Delaware delinquent
taxes to tie amount of $57443 This is
q matter of record which Mr.. Powell
cannot contradict, and it may explain
why it is that after Democratic and Re-
publican newspapers had approved Gov
ernor Foraker's message Mr.. Powell
turned upon it and has been assaulting
both it and the governor and compelling
his campaign managers and the news
papers supporting him to make fight on
Governor Foraker, especially on that
message, which is of course obnoxious to
MIR. Powell, who is increasing the tax
burdens of the state by failing to meet
his fair share of them. Certainly the
people can now understand why Mr..
Powell has been going about the state
raving like an insane man over Governor
Foraker's views on taxation. ~
The fact that Mr.. Powell had not paid
his taxes for two years, in spite of the
large income he has been receiving, was
exposed by Governor Foraker in his
speech at Cleveland last week On the
second night after this exposure Mr..
Powell stated to several reputable gentle
men in the northwestern part of the
state that the statement was not true,
and that he had paid his taxes. That was
telegraphed to Delaware Immediately,
and on investigation of the books in the
auditors and treasurer's offices in Della
ware it was found that Mr.. PowelI's
statement was at variance with the truth.
He had not paid the taxes on his place in
Delaware for twelve years, and in stat
ing that he had told what he knew to be
untrue. The following day, Thursday,
October &C. Mr.. Powell admitted the
falsity of his statement Of the evening
before by going to Delaware and paying
the taxes which he had so long avoided.
This admission of his of the fact that he
had been lodging his taxes for twelve
years, and only paid them because forced
to do so by public disapproval of his
course, has not tended to increase the re-
spect of people for him. The taxpayers
of Delaware county can thank Governor
Foraker for having demanded that Mr..
Powell bear his share of the burden of
taxation and to relieve them from fur
ther carrying his load. After all, soma
good has been done by Powell's candi-
dacy for governor, as he probably would
have never paid his taxes had he not by
his course brought to the attention of
the public his omission in that respect.
Governor Foraker deserves the thanks of
the people for bringing him to time in
the matter, but it is probable that Powell
will continue angry at the governor on ac-
count of the tax matter, and will discon-
tinue his abuse of him.